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True Facts: Not-Dead Opossums and Their Weird Defenses

Ze Frank | October 7, 2024



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**Correction: only 1 species in US not in North America as a whole.

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Credits:

Dr Giancarlo Carli, University of Siena
Dr William J. Krause, University of Missouri
Dr Kenneth Jones, DVM
Dr Carolin Dittrich, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna
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International Animal Rescue https://www.youtube.com/@InternationalAnimalRescue
Heindl Nature Preserve https://www.youtube.com/@HeindlNaturePreserve
Houston Museum of Natural Science https://www.youtube.com/@houstonmuseum
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Asakura, M et al. (2022). Freezing or death feigning? Beetles selected for long death feigning showed different tactics against different predators. Ecology and Evolution. 12. 10.1002/ece3.8533.

Burnett WE, Heinze J. Sperm bundles in the seminal vesicles of sexually mature Lasius ant males. PLoS One. 2014 Mar 26;9(3):e93383. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0093383.

Cardoso, D.C. et al. Death feigning in ants. Myrmecol. News 34: 45-56. 24 January 2024. doi: 10.25849/myrmecol.news_034:045

Cassill DL, et al. Young fire ant workers feign death and survive aggressive neighbors. Naturwissenschaften. 2008 Jul;95(7):617-24. doi: 10.1007/s00114-008-0362-3.

Cook, L.E. et al. Postnatal development in a marsupial model, the fat-tailed dunnart (Sminthopsis crassicaudata; Dasyuromorphia: Dasyuridae). Commun Biol 4, 1028 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1038/s42003-021-02506-2

Dittrich C, Rödel MO. Drop dead! Female mate avoidance in an explosively breeding frog. R Soc Open Sci. 2023 Oct 11;10(10):230742. doi: 10.1098/rsos.230742.

Janssenswillen S, Bossuyt F. Male Courtship Pheromones Induce Cloacal Gaping in Female Newts (Salamandridae). PLoS One. 2016 Jan 15;11(1):e0144985. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0144985.

Hwang JY, et al. Molecular Evolution of CatSper in Mammals and Function of Sperm Hyperactivation in Gray Short-Tailed Opossum. Cells. 2021 Apr 29;10(5):1047. doi: 10.3390/cells10051047.

Hwang, JY et al. (2021). Molecular Evolution of CatSper in Mammals and Function of Sperm Hyperactivation in Gray Short-Tailed Opossum. Cells. 10. 1047. 10.3390/cells10051047.

Masaki, Sakai (Editor). Death-Feigning in Insects: Mechanism and Function of Tonic Immobility, Entomology Monographs, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-33-6598-8

Mate KE et al. Timetable of in vivo embryonic development in the grey short-tailed opossum (Monodelphis domestica). doi: 10.1002/mrd.1080390404.

Moore HD, Taggart DA. Sperm pairing in the opossum increases the efficiency of sperm movement in a viscous environment. doi: 10.1095/biolreprod52.4.947.

Morcillo I Soler P, et al. Bundle formation of sperm: Influence of environmental factors. doi: 10.3389/fendo.2022.957684.

New DA et al. Growth of opossum embryos in vitro during organogenesis. J Embryol Exp Morphol. 1977 Oct;41:111-23. PMID: 591864.

Nogueira, J.C. et al (1999). The penis morphology of Didelphis, Lutreolina, Metachirus and Caluromys (Marsupialia, Didelphidae). doi:10.1515/mamm.1999.63.1.79.

Taggart DA et al. Why do spermatozoa of American marsupials form pairs? A clue from the analysis of sperm-pairing in the epididymis of the grey short-tailed opossum, Monodelphis domestica. doi: 10.1002/ar.1092360307.

Ulate Gómez, TN et al. (2024). Short communication: Problems of classifying predator-induced prey immobility – an unexpected case of post-contact freezing. Web Ecology. 24. 35-40. 10.5194/we-24-35-2024.

Zhang K, et al. Locomotion of bovine spermatozoa during the transition from individual cells to bundles. doi: 10.1073/pnas.2211911120.

Written by Ze Frank

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